"
{Otway = Thomas Otway (1652-1685), English playwright who wrote
a number of important tragedies in verse, but who died destitute at
the age of 33. The Coopers were familiar with his work; James
Fenimore Cooper used quotations from Otway's "The Orphan" for
three chapter heading epigraphs in his 1850 novel, "The Ways of the
Hour"}
"Otway?--What, the fellow you were boring me about last night?"
"The same my lord--the poet Otway--you may remember we saw his
Venice Preserved last week. It is a highly interesting letter, written
in great distress, and confirms the story of his starvation. You see
the signature."
{Venice Preserved = a well-known play by Otway, written in 1682}
"That name, Otway?--Well, to my mind it is as much like Genghis
Khan."
"Oh, my lord!--Thomas Otway clearly--signatures are always more or
less confused.
"Well, have it your own way.--It may be Tom, Dick, or Harry for all I
care," said the youth, stretching himself preparatory to a visit to his
kennels; and such was his indifference to this literary treasure that
he readily gave it to his tutor. In those days, few lords were literary.
Mr. Lumley's delight at this discovery, was very much increased by
the fact that he was at that moment anxious to bring out an edition
of the English Tragedians of the seventeenth century. The lives of
several of these authors had been already written by him, and he
was at that moment engaged on that of Otway.
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